Kite Vacuums

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

have any of you ever 'vacuumed' your kite for travel? I am wanting to suck all the air out to make it small and dense for packing on the plane (I'm not taking my board, so I don't need a golf bag). I have a vacuum pump at home, but would like to use my kite pump so I can make it small for the return trip home as well.

are there bags that I can put my kite in that have pump fittings?

any help is appreciated!

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2025 Posts Windward

those big bags on the tv are at the Walmart Cool

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

google wins again:

http://www.kitesurfari.com/store/kitevacuumbags.html

http://www.surfsale.co.uk/ShowDetails.asp?id=1052

Mark · Tue Oct 03, 06 9:06 am

Target sells storage bags that you vacuum out the air. They are $5 for three. One big and two small. I saw a bulk pack at Costco the other day.

I swear by these bags. I can vacuum my 18, 14, 9 and fit them all into ONE kitebag. One heavy bag but still one bag. ohh yeah, go to Home depot and pick up a PVC white end cap. I think the size is 11/4. Drill a 1/4" hole dead center. The cap then fits over the bag fitting. THis allows you to put your kite pump nipple in the other end. Set you pump to deflate and pump the air out of your bag. Works Great!

Hope that helps.
Mark

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

these?
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-2/qid=1159896459/ref=sr_1_2/602-1437088-5483844?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B0009IB6B0

i'm having trouble understanding the 'end cap' thing... can you elaborate?

Mark · Tue Oct 03, 06 9:52 am

These are the ones I use.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-6/qid=1159897120/ref=sr_1_6/601-6950740-4900937?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B0007OBFDA

Seems like the price went up. I would get the same ones (Spacemaker brand) but I would go to Costco and get the bulk pack.

The end caps are white made of PVC and live in the pipe isle. Its the schedule 40 white pipe used for sprinklers and such. The end cap is for "capping" off a line. It slides over the end of the pipe and is glued on.

Take one and drill a 1/4 hole in the center. put it over the fitting on the spacemaker bag. ( bag fitting is designed for a shopvac to fit on.) put your kite pump hose into the 1/4 hole and pump away ( with pump in deflate mode)
If you need more info please call me 503.706-6012
Mark

stringy · Since 23 Jun 2006 1726 Posts vancouver XTreme Poster

I have travelled with the space bags. I use the shop vac at home to achieve the smallest size bag possible. You can use your kite pump with an adaptor. If you don't have the adaptor, you can very carefully try sitting on the bag while lifting the rubber flap to slowly allow the excess air to escape. This method does not make the bag as small as shop vac. Once I needed to get the bag small like with a shop vac, but was at the beach. What will work in a pinch is a piece of tape. Just cut a good length of tape, wrap it around the the outer side of the valve coupling on the bag, then use the roll of tape as a spacer ring between your bag and the nozzle, continue to wrap the tape around the roll and then continue to wrap it around the nozzle of your hose. This works in a pinch.

jim